UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting latest: Police tracking killer’s movements

The unidentified man suspected of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel remains at large after Wednesday’s attack, which police described as “brazen, targeted” and “premeditated.”

The killer entered New York City by bus on November 24, when a surveillance camera at the Port Authority Bus Terminal captured his arrival at 9 p.m., law enforcement sources told ABC News.

The inbound bus originated from Atlanta, but it was not immediately clear where the suspect boarded. Sources told ABC News he was seen on board in Washington, DC

Police are investigating whether the suspect left New York City by bus Wednesday after the murder.

The 10 days he was in New York City before the shooting are the focus of investigative efforts.

Police have collected video of the suspect across the city, including on the subway, in cabs and at a McDonald’s, sources told ABC News. At each location, he paid in cash and made sure to keep his mask on, indicating to detectives that he knew he was coming to New York City to commit the murder, sources said.

Police were able to find a surveillance image of the suspect without his face mask on because he was flirting with the woman checking him into a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, police sources said.

As he stood at the check-in counter, the sources said the woman asked to see his smile. The shooter obliged, pulling his mask down long enough for the surveillance camera to capture his face.

Police have determined that the suspect checked into the hostel with a New Jersey license that was not his own, police sources told ABC News.

The masked gunman shot Thompson at point blank range at 6:44 a.m. Wednesday outside the New York Hilton Midtown, where Thompson was heading to his company’s investor conference.

“The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot,” NYPD Detective Chief Joseph Kenny said. “The gun appears to be malfunctioning as he clears the jam and starts firing again.”

The words “reject”, “defend” and “depose” were written on the casings, according to police sources.

The words on the bullets echo the title of the 2010 book “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.” Police are aware of the similarity and are investigating whether a possible motive is anger at the insurance industry, sources say.

Investigators believe they were able to score DNA samples from several pieces of evidence discovered at or near the crime scene, police sources told ABC News. The samples are currently at the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to be run through databases for a possible match — a process that could take several days, the sources said.

Police were also able to pull a fingerprint from a water bottle the suspect bought at a Starbucks, but the print is smudged, so it’s not clear how useful that will be, sources said.

The suspect fled on foot and then fled north on a bicycle and rode into Central Park, police said.

A person who appears to be the suspect was seen just before 7 a.m. on the Upper West Side riding a bicycle away from Central Park. He has not been seen since.

UnitedHealth Group said in a statement that its “hearts are broken” and that it has been “touched by the tremendous outpouring of kindness and support.”

“So many patients, consumers, healthcare professionals, associations, government officials and other caring people have taken the time to reach out. We are grateful even as we grieve,” said UnitedHealth Group, parent company of UnitedHealthcare. “Our priorities are first and foremost to support Brian’s family; to ensure the safety of our employees; and to work with law enforcement to bring the perpetrator to justice.”

“We, at UnitedHealth Group, will continue to be there for those who depend on us for their health care,” the statement continued. “We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy as they grieve the loss of their husband, father, brother and friend.”